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This article contains SPOILERS. If you haven’t read the issue yet, proceed at your own risk!

The ancient Greeks had an idea that the past was always better than the present. They arrived at this notion by comparing their present society to those which existed in ancient times. When they did this, they compared the men of their present day to the likes of Heracles and Achillies, which explains why they thought of their time as inferior. Modern day society has the propensity to look at the past as better than the present in the same way. The fact that our current president won the election by claiming the 1950s were the pinnacle of society proves this true. Still, consensus these days is that the past isn’t all that rosy, but that would be a hard point to prove if you were using Lumberjanes 50 as evidence. Continue reading →

This article contains SPOILERS. If you haven’t read the issue yet, proceed at your own risk!

In the grand scheme of things, it’s tempting to think that any conversation that centers on horoscopes is going to be pretty innocent, right? Well, not so fast. There have been multiple occasions when, for some reason or another, I’ve found myself talking horoscopes with someone who believes they’re real while I’m convinced they’re a load of crap. If anything else, it’s the vaguery of horoscopes that gets me. If a horoscope isn’t specific in any way, then of course a person can find ways to connect it to their own life. But if horoscopes were eerily accurate, would that change my mind? Continue reading →

This article contains SPOILERS. If you haven’t read the issue yet, proceed at your own risk!

Being a middle school teacher helps me keep my ear to ground when it comes to trends that the young folk are into these days. Of these trends, one that seems to be the most popular is manga. Manga isn’t new to American and it certainly isn’t new to pop-culture. However, it has now become a mainstay in youth culture, or are least middle school culture. Most kids have read at least one manga by the time they’re in 7th grade, and it’s safe to say more have read this version of pictoral stories than their American (or European) counterparts. As such, it’s no surprise Ayme Sotuyo is the chosen artist of the Lumberjanes series, as it’s the perfect style for a comic written with young readers in mind.

This article contains SPOILERS. If you haven’t read the issue yet, proceed at your own risk!

At this point, the Lumberjanes have encountered just about any type of weird monster/creature that you can dream up. They’ve faced giant stone statues, huge ravens, ghosts, and dinosaurs just to name a few. When all is said and done, there’s not really a whole lot of things the Janes haven’t faced. As the 45 issue of the series shows, this is beginning to take a tole on the Janes, and, in some ways, perhaps the creative team as well.

This article contains SPOILERS. If you haven’t read the issue yet, proceed at your own risk!

Lumberjanes is ostensibly a comic geared towards a younger audience. The young protagonists, the summer camp setting, and the the fantasy elements all suggest a title that is purposely trying to engage young comic readers. There’s nothing wrong with that and in fact it’s vitally important to foster a love of comics in young people by making titles expressly for their consumption. However, as with all art, Lumberjanes frequently isn’t heralded as much a titles written for older audiences. But as issue 44 shows, there’s no reason why that should be the case.

This article contains SPOILERS. If you haven’t read the issue yet, proceed at your own risk!

I recently read an article which argued the point that serialized tv is a “disease.” Perhaps a bit hyperbolic, but the author had a good point. In some cases, TV shows forgo quality in the name of developing mythology. My ever-treasured LOST was cited as a prime example of this, and I had a hard time disagreeing with it being so characterized, as I remembered scenes of a church filled with the dead spirits of the show’s main characters. This got me thinking: I’ve always treasured mythology building in my narratives, but does that mean its always good for the story or content? As if to answer this question, Lumberjanes 43 was published and the answer seems to be a mighty, no.

This article contains SPOILERS. If you haven’t read the issue yet, proceed at your own risk!

Time-travel has infatuated people for what seems like ages now. Back to the Future, Bill and Ted’s, and Edge of Tomorrow are just some of the many movies that have explored this subject. The fascination with time-travel probably speaks to our own insecurity about being unable to stop the inevitable march of time and its seemingly one-directional nature. Basically, that’s all just a fancy way of saying I totally empathize with Molly when she tried to slow down time in the last issue of Lumberjanes, but am also unsurprised that her actions now have ramifications in this month’s issue. Continue reading →

This article contains SPOILERS. If you haven’t read the issue yet, proceed at your own risk!

After reading a comic book series for several years, it becomes hard for that title to surprise me much anymore. Obviously, there may be twists and turns to the plot that may be unexpected, but when it comes to the tone, themes, and the manner in which the content is delivered, I have a pretty good idea of how the creators will tell their story. Lumberjanes is now into that territory where I know exactly what to expect each issue, however, issue 41 surprised me. The reason? It actually did something I don’t remember seeing in any Lumberjanes issue since its inception. Continue reading →

Today, Taylor and Spencer are discussing Lumberjanes 22, originally released January 20th, 2016.

Taylor: Freshness is key. Tell this to any chef and they’ll certainly agree with you. Fresh things just taste better, that’s just common sense. If you were to ask a critic the same question, they would almost certainly have the same reaction. It’s important for media to have a certain modern and unique feel to it. Certainly there are timeless classics that transcend the need to be fresh, but those are the types of media that come along once in a blue moon. Looking at the average comic book issue, freshness is hard thing to achieve constantly. The monthly demands and deadlines of a creative endeavor can be trying on the most talented of creative teams. Considering this, it’s interesting to read Lumberjanes 22. On its surface the comic is unique and fresh. That being the case, why then do I like it’s beginning to turn? Continue reading →